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The navigation is correct, but climbing the staircase presents at least two squares of difficult terrain. Without running, that will leave Rogur one square adjacent to Noxias, instead of at his desired location. For now, I will assume that he'll be west of Noxias.

Thank you. I had forgotten about the stairs being difficult terrain. That position will be fine.

Originally Posted by Umiushi

There are two doors in the upper room. Based on Rogur's given position on the map (not his actual position based on what I said in the previous paragraph), they are on the west side of the square directly northwest of Rogur, and on the south side of the square two squares southeast of Rogur, in the room's southeast corner.

I do not see those indicated on the map, but I'll take your word for it. The door behind which Noxias heard movement is the one in the room's southeast corner, correct?

Originally Posted by Umiushi

I had recorded Rogur as having a loaded sling, but I will change that to unloaded if such is your intent.

Loaded is fine.

If nothing out of the ordinary happens (read: enters the room, attacks us, burns the building down around us) this round, and assuming I am correct about the sound emanating from behind the SE door, Rogur will stealthily approach the door, listen to it, and then stealthily open it.

If nothing out of the ordinary happens (read: enters the room, attacks us, burns the building down around us) this round, and assuming I am correct about the sound emanating from behind the SE door, Rogur will stealthily approach the door, listen to it, and then stealthily open it.

--T

Umi, I know how you feel about cantrips but what if I was to use a ghost sound to surprise everyone in the room? Make a loud bang come from the opposite wall away from the door inside the room? Or maybe the sound of a fight come from the hall in the opposite direction of us and then they would all run out toward it?

Just some thoughts.

Ariellana, Noxias, and Yrisz that one time...
Quote:

"It seems to Noxias that the mere act of perceiving her in her decrepitude is enough to draw forth the mortality in his body."

. . .
I do not see those indicated on the map, but I'll take your word for it. The door behind which Noxias heard movement is the one in the room's southeast corner, correct?

Loaded is fine.

. . .

The doors were indicated in black on the map. The contrast between the black of a door and the dark brown of the wall may be hard to make out, though it looks fine on my monitor. In the map below, I have changed the color of the doors from black to orange, in the hope that they will show up a little bit more. I would also like to remind everyone, just in case they aren't doing it, that the images are generally shown in reduced form, here, and must be clicked on several times to be seen at their proper resolution. If they cannot be seen at full resolution for some reason, such as due to a browser issue, I would suggest downloading the images locally.

I'll make the change to Rogur's sling, below.

Originally Posted by Malk0lm

Umi, I know how you feel about cantrips but what if I was to use a ghost sound to surprise everyone in the room? Make a loud bang come from the opposite wall away from the door inside the room? Or maybe the sound of a fight come from the hall in the opposite direction of us and then they would all run out toward it?
. . .

To answer with the greatest clarity, I'll break this proposed action into multiple components.

First, can Ghost Sound be used to create the proposed effects? Yes. Noxias can use Ghost Sound to make a loud bang, or create the sound of a fight.

Second, can Ghost Sound be targeted at the specified locations? I'm not sure. Is the "opposite wall away from the door inside the room" referring to the north wall of the room you're in, that is, the wall behind Noxias and Rogur? If so, that is not a problem. However, ranged spells must be targeted at squares that the caster can see, so in the second case, it would not be possible for Ghost Sound to be targeted behind anyone on the other side of the door, at least not until the door is opened and Noxias can see the square he's targeting.

Third, can Ghost Sound surprise others? In this case, I need to draw a distinction between surprise as a reaction, and the game-mechanic of surprise. In the first case, yes, Ghost Sound has the potential to startle people. In the second case, basically, the act of granting a surprise round, the answer is no; if anything, the use of Ghost Sound will heighten an enemy's overall alertness.

Lastly, would enemies run to the source of a Ghost Sound? They might, but the answer depends on their circumstances. The reaction of characters and creatures to the cantrip cannot be determined in advance. Generally speaking, it depends on the characters' expectations of who and what they're fighting, and the situation they're in. While Noxias can hope that the cantrip would inspire characters to behave in a certain way, he cannot be certain of it.

Additionally, Ghost Sound can be used as part of an attempt to create a diversion, but this is purely cosmetic, i.e. employing the cantrip does not change the diversion mechanic. It can be done once per combat encounter. To do this, cast Ghost Sound as part of a Standard Action, make a Bluff Check opposed by the Passive Insight of any enemy who can see Noxias, and then make a Stealth Check opposed by the Passive Perception of any enemy who can see Noxias. Noxias will be hidden from all enemies that both checks succeeded against until the end of his turn. It is clear from all the factors involved here that this has very limited application. There are usually better ways to spend a turn in combat.

This map reflects the positions of the characters if Round Fourteen goes through as described below. I have changed the color of the doors in the building to orange to hopefully make them more visible. I have also indicated the square with the three barrels. Finally, I corrected a continuity error in the map: the staircase down to the first floor was missing from the hallway. It is safe to assume that I don't have any great plans to utilize the flooded first floor in this encounter.

OOC Post #53 for Acqua Alta Finale

This post complements the fifty-third main post in the Acqua Alta Finale thread. Players' posts in either thread are due by 11 pm, Tuesday, September 11th. The next OOC main post will appear by 11 pm, Thursday, September 13th.

It's been a few days since I last heard from Yukonhorror. I am curious if Zephyr intends to continue his conversation with Polon or exit the room. Polon's last response was described in Main Post #51 in the Acqua Alta Finale thread. The room that Zephyr, Polon, and the scribes are in has only one exit: a closed door. If Zephyr's intent is to leave, how does he go about it? Broadly speaking, quickly, stealthily, and cautiously are the three popular options. I'll assume Zephyr takes the lead.

Originally Posted by Ithelryn

. . . How dark are these areas? I suppose that there is a window near Konstansz.

Anyone would casually describe these areas as "dim," but there is sufficient illumination in game terms to categorize them as brightly lit.

Yrisz has used a sun rod and 2 healing potions.
Yrisz has spent 1 Action Point (none remaining).
Yrisz has cast Channel Divinity, Cure Light Wounds (daily), and Exacting Utterance.
Yrisz has used two Healing Words and her Second Wind.
Yrisz is using non-lethal attacks.
Yrisz is #4's quarry.
Yrisz has spent 5 healing surges.
Yrisz has taken 13 points of damage.

Thank you for adjusting the color of the doors, it helps very much on my monitor. Can you describe the stairway for me? Since #1 and #8 did not react to Konstanz and Rogur, is it safe to assume that there is a wall behind which Rogur is hiding, or did they just perceive Noxias as the more imminent threat? Also, are #1 and #8 at the top of the stairs, or is there a drop to the floor below? (In other words, if Rogur is able to knock one of them over the ledge, do they stand a chance of taking damage from the fall?) I think the first situation is right, which is what allowed them to attack Noxias, but just in case, I'm going to include an option below to try to slide one of them over the edge if it would hurt them more.

Also, you said in your summary:

Originally Posted by Umiushi

While marked, if Noxias shifts, or uses an attack that does target #8

I think you meant "does not target #8"?

Rogur, Round Fifteen
Option 1: If #1 and #8 are at the top of the stairs, and would take no damage from being forced to move N/NE: Free: NoneMinor: Draw swordMove: Shift SStandard: Acrobatic Strike vs. #8. Shift 1SE before attack.

Option 2: If #1 and #8 are on a landing or level above the lower floor, and would take damage from being forced to move N/NE:Free: NoneMinor: Draw swordMove: S, SE (provokes opp attack from #8, which Rogur will risk trusting to his feat bonuses to save him)Standard: Positioning Strike vs. #8

Konstansz will curse and target nearest enemy with eldritch blast (looks like number 8 from the map, but maybe she doesn't have line of sight yet?). If neither of the enemies are in a position where she can attack them, she will instead ready the eldritch blast to go off as soon as one of them comes into view. (can I still do the curse first as part of the ready action?)

From reading both of the above posts, I realize that it is important to note that the gray line immediately east of Rogur and Konstansz is not a wall, but is instead part of the overall staircase icon. Rogur and Konstansz are the top of the staircase. At the moment, everyone in this room has full line of sight to everyone else in the room.

Originally Posted by Palpatim

Hi Umiushi,

Thank you for adjusting the color of the doors, it helps very much on my monitor. Can you describe the stairway for me? Since #1 and #8 did not react to Konstanz and Rogur, is it safe to assume that there is a wall behind which Rogur is hiding, or did they just perceive Noxias as the more imminent threat? Also, are #1 and #8 at the top of the stairs, or is there a drop to the floor below? (In other words, if Rogur is able to knock one of them over the ledge, do they stand a chance of taking damage from the fall?) I think the first situation is right, which is what allowed them to attack Noxias, but just in case, I'm going to include an option below to try to slide one of them over the edge if it would hurt them more.

Also, you said in your summary: I think you meant "does not target #8"?

. . .

The staircase is composed of stone steps that turn in a ninety degree angle. The top of the staircase faces west and the bottom face south. It, and the eastern wall of the building, is part of the original structure and is not related to the shoddy, wooden construction that is seen elsewhere in this place.

Konstansz and Rogur are not hidden from #1 and #8. Your supposition that they are reacting to Noxias as the immediate threat is correct. Noxias did just torch one of their compatriots a moment ago.

There is a slight drop. If Rogur can move one of them precisely to the square adjacent to and east of Noxias, they may take damage and fall prone. However, the drop is less than ten feet, and they will gain both an Acrobatics Check and a saving throw to avoid damage, so the chance of such an outcome is not high.

I did mean to say "does not target #8," yes. I have now edited the summary to correct that.

Originally Posted by cutopia

Konstansz will curse and target nearest enemy with eldritch blast (looks like number 8 from the map, but maybe she doesn't have line of sight yet?). If neither of the enemies are in a position where she can attack them, she will instead ready the eldritch blast to go off as soon as one of them comes into view. (can I still do the curse first as part of the ready action?)

As per the top of this post, line of sight is not a problem, but to answer the second question, only a single action may be "readied." A character who wishes to take consecutive actions is best served by "Delaying" their entire turn to a different initiative count.

Is Konstansz still going to try to take cover behind the barrels, or has she decided that it is a lost cause?

From reading both of the above posts, I realize that it is important to note that the gray line immediately east of Rogur and Konstansz is not a wall, but is instead part of the overall staircase icon. Rogur and Konstansz are the top of the staircase. At the moment, everyone in this room has full line of sight to everyone else in the room.

The staircase is composed of stone steps that turn in a ninety degree angle. The top of the staircase faces west and the bottom face south. It, and the eastern wall of the building, is part of the original structure and is not related to the shoddy, wooden construction that is seen elsewhere in this place.

Konstansz and Rogur are not hidden from #1 and #8. Your supposition that they are reacting to Noxias as the immediate threat is correct. Noxias did just torch one of their compatriots a moment ago.

There is a slight drop. If Rogur can move one of them precisely to the square adjacent to and east of Noxias, they may take damage and fall prone. However, the drop is less than ten feet, and they will gain both an Acrobatics Check and a saving throw to avoid damage, so the chance of such an outcome is not high.

I did mean to say "does not target #8," yes. I have now edited the summary to correct that.

As per the top of this post, line of sight is not a problem, but to answer the second question, only a single action may be "readied." A character who wishes to take consecutive actions is best served by "Delaying" their entire turn to a different initiative count.

Is Konstansz still going to try to take cover behind the barrels, or has she decided that it is a lost cause?

For the love of me please have Rogur and Konstansz flank 8 with extreme haste!

For Nox's next trick:
Move: Fey step 4S and 1SE
Std: Scorching Burst at #8
Minor: Close the door and cry

There is a slight drop. If Rogur can move one of them precisely to the square adjacent to and east of Noxias, they may take damage and fall prone. However, the drop is less than ten feet, and they will gain both an Acrobatics Check and a saving throw to avoid damage, so the chance of such an outcome is not high.

Hmph, it seems my post of yesterday didn't go through--I apparently hit "Preview" rather than "Post" at the critical point.

Umiushi, since Rogur will not have Combat Advantage from flanking after Noxias moves, please adjust the attack roll accordingly, and of course remove his Sneak Attack damage if the attack still hits.

Since there is a drop with the chance of damage, Rogur will still pursue the second option. Assuming the attack hits, there's still a chance to knock one of the baddies prone.